: : : : : : I've heard the "line to take." Meaning the approach
you want to take when explaining something or dealing with a situation.

: : : : : As in 4a from Merriam-Webster online:
: : : : : 4 a: a course of conduct, action, or thought b : a field
of activity or interest c : a glib often persuasive way of talking

: : : : Could the original query have something to do with the
'lie of the land,' meaning the topography of the land? Scouts were
sent ahead of exploration parties to guage the lie of the land and
the best 'lie to take' was based on their reports. I'm sure I've
seen this usage before but cannot find any examples just now.

: : : Nope. It's "lay of the land." From Merriam-Webster online:
"6 : the way in which a thing lies or is laid in relation to something
else"

: Thank you all.
: TS

From www.bartleby.com: "lie of the land, lay of the land"
Both locutions are Standard, meaning "the way things are literally
or figuratively positioned with respect to other things," as in
"As soon as we get a look at the lie [lay] of the land, we'll decide
what to do next." Hah!